Rumor: Ilya Kovalchuk signing with NYR

haveandare

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Jul 2, 2009
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Personally If the Rangers are going to throw big bucks at a UFA I would much prefer they kick the tires on J.Tavares
Big bucks for 2 years to Kovalchuk carries literally no risk for NYR. They'll have ample cap space for at least that long, and at the end they can move him for a pick if they're still not competing. Plus he can help Rykov and Shestyorkin come over as he's played with both in Russia a bunch.

Tavares is going to get more per year and a ton more term. Not a fan of him coming to NYR with where the team is right now.
 

haveandare

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Jul 2, 2009
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Doesn't make sense for either side. NYR wants to rebuild, Kovy would ideally want to play for a contender? He's 35.
Makes a lot of sense for NYR. Sign him for nothing but money, give him minutes that help move Zucc/Spooner/Namestnikov for more futures - net is money for futures from a team with a ton of money that is looking to continually add futures for the next few years.
 

Duke Silver

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Jun 4, 2008
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Why are the Rangers doing this?

The extra wins that Kovalchuk gives you takes you further out of the running for top picks. And the Rangers don't currently have the top-end prospects to start signing top-end veterans.

I don't know if it's some ingrained Yankees-esque mindset where you think you can buy your way out of the basement but it hasn't worked in the NHL.
 

NYR Viper

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Sep 9, 2007
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Why are the Rangers doing this?

The extra wins that Kovalchuk gives you takes you further out of the running for top picks. And the Rangers don't currently have the top-end prospects to start signing top-end veterans.

I don't know if it's some ingrained Yankees-esque mindset where you think you can buy your way out of the basement but it hasn't worked in the NHL.

The Rangers currently have (2) very good prospects playing in the KHL in Shestyerkin and Rykov. Both are past teammates of Kovalchuk. Buchnevich played with Kovalchuk in the KHL and he is still looking to find his groove.

The Rangers have lots of cap space and may look to trade Zuccarello. If they trade Zuccarello, the team will be in need of some veteran leadership and someone to help carry some offensive load.

This Rangers team WILL NOT be able to bottom out with Hank, Zibanejad, Shattenkirk, Kreider, Hayes and Skjei around. They have a decent core group and will be supplementing them with some younger guys over the next couple of years. This gets them through that time will bringing in a good veteran presence for nothing but money.

If the team was looking to bottom out that would be one thing but they would need to trade 4-5 more pieces and even then it wouldn't be a sure thing considering Hank would still be around.
 

Duke Silver

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The Rangers currently have (2) very good prospects playing in the KHL in Shestyerkin and Rykov. Both are past teammates of Kovalchuk. Buchnevich played with Kovalchuk in the KHL and he is still looking to find his groove.

The Rangers have lots of cap space and may look to trade Zuccarello. If they trade Zuccarello, the team will be in need of some veteran leadership and someone to help carry some offensive load.

This Rangers team WILL NOT be able to bottom out with Hank, Zibanejad, Shattenkirk, Kreider, Hayes and Skjei around. They have a decent core group and will be supplementing them with some younger guys over the next couple of years. This gets them through that time will bringing in a good veteran presence for nothing but money.

If the team was looking to bottom out that would be one thing but they would need to trade 4-5 more pieces and even then it wouldn't be a sure thing considering Hank would still be around.

I don't know, this just feels like a recipe for a consistently average team.

Shestyerkin and Rykov are very good prospects, but I'd hesitate to call them blue-chippers. The Rangers lack a franchise-defining player. Lundqvist was that guy, but not anymore.
 

Ori

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Yes, @Duke Silver , but it`s a free asset even though he is 35. But Libor Hajek need to play top 4 D role next season and that might result in a disaster or success, because it takes longer time to develop defender in NHL unless they are Rasmus kind of talent, but even him is fragile related to physics. I doubt Rangers bottom out even without Zucc, but you don`t sign Ilya just to get a free asset of Zucc of the one year remaining since Rangers probably lose rights to sign him as UFA next year when maybe Rangers looking to improve the team again. And it depends if we get that impact player or win lottery in 2018-19 drafts - so you need to plan it some years ahead, and 1 asset from Zucc based on one year could be nice, but it`s a risk that we can`t sign him as UFA when we start to compete again. Maybe Gorton find another great deal to strengthen our young D core which is my big question mark going into 2018-19 season in October.
 

One Winged Angel

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He was close enough to there the last time he was complaining about how much he was being taxed...

I actually think the Florida Panthers would be a great fit if they want to pony up the cash.

I agree with the last part. They're closer to competing and they're in more of a win now mindset than the Rangers.

Quite frankly, the Rangers choice confuses me as well.
 

One Winged Angel

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He has a giant house in Alpine, New Jersey, which is where a lot of the Yankees end up living. That's really his only financial reason he might want to play for a team in the NYC metro area, whether it's the Devils, Rangers or Islanders (apart from how much any of those teams might pay him).

Someone brought up Brighton Beach. I can 100 percent assure everyone that no Russian hockey player wants to play in NY because of it. There's nothing wrong with it, and it is heavily Russian, but it's still pretty much a working class kind of place. Multi-millionaires -- Russian or otherwise -- don't hang out there all that often.

I don't think you're right about that at all. Kovalev, Kamensky and Bure were known to hang out there when they were Rangers.

I have sources on the inside that can testify to that.
 

Cor

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Even though I wouldn't sign him if I were the Rangers, the logic is there for them to sign him. He's a free asset. One that you could eventually move down the road, and one that can allow you to move other assets for draft picks now.

However, if Kovalchuk wants to win a cup, and be successful, the Rangers doesn't fit his logic.

He'd be better off seeing if NJD wants him back. IIRC he lived in Manhattan when he played for the Devils last time. Just do that again.
 

Setec Astronomy

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Jun 15, 2012
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I don't think you're right about that at all. Kovalev, Kamensky and Bure were known to hang out there when they were Rangers.

I have sources on the inside that can testify to that.

Maybe they'll hang out there occasionally, like to visit people. So maybe I should have been clearer. But maybe having a few buddies in Brighton Beach will not play a role in any hockey player choosing to play in the NY metro area, especially not someone like Kovalchuk.

Also, the players you're talking about played for the Rangers more than fifteen years ago. Brighton Beach and the experience that Russians have in the US generally is much different now.
 

EdJovanovski

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I don't know, this just feels like a recipe for a consistently average team.

Shestyerkin and Rykov are very good prospects, but I'd hesitate to call them blue-chippers. The Rangers lack a franchise-defining player. Lundqvist was that guy, but not anymore.
Shestyorkin is definitely a blue chip prospect, he’s arguably the best goalie prospect on the planet & is widely regarded as a top 20 NHL prospect. Not to mention the Rangers have a miracle worker as a goalie coach who will shape him to be the heir to the throne
 

haveandare

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I don't know, this just feels like a recipe for a consistently average team.

Shestyerkin and Rykov are very good prospects, but I'd hesitate to call them blue-chippers. The Rangers lack a franchise-defining player. Lundqvist was that guy, but not anymore.
Shestyerkin is as good as any goalie prospect there is Imo.
 

lifelonghockeyfan

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Dec 18, 2015
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I certainly wouldn't sign Kovi long term. There is no evidence he is NHL good any more. A bonus laden contract is the only way to justify big money on this guy. Yes, he led the KHL in points, second in goals. But look at the guys just below him the scoring race, not guys that are going to be signed to NHL contracts. He's value is a mystery. I believe he wants to live/play in NY area. That kinda weakens his $$$ negotiations as there might be a maximum of three teams that are in in his sight.
 

Dr Quincy

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Jun 19, 2005
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I don't know, this just feels like a recipe for a consistently average team.

Shestyerkin and Rykov are very good prospects, but I'd hesitate to call them blue-chippers. The Rangers lack a franchise-defining player. Lundqvist was that guy, but not anymore.
That's because you are stuck in the belief that a) tanking works at all and b) that it is indeed the only method that works.

A) Might be true if done correctly, in the right year, and things go right, and you make other moves that are smart.... but it fails more often than it works

B) Other methods do in fact work. Boston won a Cup and went to another finals, then became mediocre and in that "middle ground" that some fans think you can't win from. But now they've rebuilt on the fly and look to be in great shape.

Sucking on purpose guarantees you'll suck. No more than that.
 
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Martin Skoula

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Oct 18, 2017
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If he said he wants to win a cup, signing with a team like the Rangers with a handshake agreement of getting traded to a contender at the deadline makes sense for both parties. Rangers get some futures, Kovalchuk pads his stats and ends up on a guaranteed contender.

Imagine if he came over last year and signed with Edmonton thinking they were the next cup favorite after their playoff run?
 

One Winged Angel

You Can't Escape
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Maybe they'll hang out there occasionally, like to visit people. So maybe I should have been clearer. But maybe having a few buddies in Brighton Beach will not play a role in any hockey player choosing to play in the NY metro area, especially not someone like Kovalchuk.

Also, the players you're talking about played for the Rangers more than fifteen years ago. Brighton Beach and the experience that Russians have in the US generally is much different now.

Maybe from your experience, but I have other Russian friends who say otherwise.

I'm not saying it's the sole reason he's coming here. As I stated in an above post, I'm confused to be honest as to why he'd pick the Rangers. I can see contenders offering similar money or even better.

It just doesn't make much sense.
 

Duke Silver

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That's because you are stuck in the belief that a) tanking works at all and b) that it is indeed the only method that works.

A) Might be true if done correctly, in the right year, and things go right, and you make other moves that are smart.... but it fails more often than it works

B) Other methods do in fact work. Boston won a Cup and went to another finals, then became mediocre and in that "middle ground" that some fans think you can't win from. But now they've rebuilt on the fly and look to be in great shape.

Sucking on purpose guarantees you'll suck. No more than that.

Thing is, Boston had the pillars already in place when they did their on-the-fly rebuild. They had:
- A perennial selke winner in Bergeron
- Marchand, who exploded into one of the best players in the league
- A hall-of-fame defenceman in Chara
- A top-10 goaltender
- A coach who actually embraces the offensive side of hockey

I don't think signing David Backes factored much into their renaissance.

Yes, there are multiple ways to build a team. I just don't see much of a foundation in NYR right now. You typically need one or two absolute game-breakers to do any damage. That's banking a lot on Shestyerkin.
 

Dr Quincy

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Jun 19, 2005
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Thing is, Boston had the pillars already in place when they did their on-the-fly rebuild. They had:
- A perennial selke winner in Bergeron 2nd rd pick, so not something that finishing at the bottom would help acquire
- Marchand, who exploded into one of the best players in the league see above
- A hall-of-fame defenceman in Chara free agent, so finishing near the bottom not needed
- A top-10 goaltender obtained in trade, finishing near the bottom not needed
- A coach who actually embraces the offensive side of hockey finishing near the bottom not needed to acquire that either

I don't think signing David Backes factored much into their renaissance.

Yes, there are multiple ways to build a team. I just don't see much of a foundation in NYR right now. You typically need one or two absolute game-breakers to do any damage. That's banking a lot on Shestyerkin.

So, I think you are making my point. Signing Kovy wouldn't stop NYR from using the multiple picks they received, plus the prospects they haave and received, plus any picks/prospects they can get if they sell Spooner or Namestnikov.

You originally said that having Kovy would make them win some games and that they wouldn't blue chip players because of that. Then you listed a team that got blue chip players from the 2nd round, through trade (and mid to late 1st originally) and free agency. They also signed Marc Savard as a free agent and made minor moves to add guys like Ference, Seidenberg, Recchi etc the 1st time, and adding guys like Riley Nash, Kevan Miller, Khudobin this time.
 

Duke Silver

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So, I think you are making my point. Signing Kovy wouldn't stop NYR from using the multiple picks they received, plus the prospects they haave and received, plus any picks/prospects they can get if they sell Spooner or Namestnikov.

You originally said that having Kovy would make them win some games and that they wouldn't blue chip players because of that. Then you listed a team that got blue chip players from the 2nd round, through trade (and mid to late 1st originally) and free agency. They also signed Marc Savard as a free agent and made minor moves to add guys like Ference, Seidenberg, Recchi etc the 1st time, and adding guys like Riley Nash, Kevan Miller, Khudobin this time.

That's a bit disingenuous.

You mentioned Boston's recent "rebuild on the fly" and I pointed out they already had difference-makers in their lineup at the time that decision was made. Are you suggesting the Rangers are similar to the Bruins of 2-3 years ago? Who's your Bergeron? Who's your Marchand? Who's your Chara? Who's your Rask? The whole point was that the Rangers are devoid of franchise-changing talent right now, and would perhaps be better off using the next few years to play the kids and accept the consequences/rewards rather than going back to the ol' UFA well all the time. At no point did I say the words "tank" or "tanking". I just don't see the point of them rushing things by pursuing Kovy types.

How many times do the Rangers have to short-sightedly try to fix thing with UFA signings and big splashy trades before they realize it's not a sustainable way of building a team these days? I thought what Gorton did at the trade deadline was great, but signing Kovy feels like a backwards step.

The Bruins first cup is out of scope for this discussion. It was a different climate, different CBA, and it was 10 years ago. Things have changed. Not sure why that was brought up.

At the end of the day, I don't care about the Rangers. I just don't see this as a smart approach, much like it didn't look like the right approach for the Canucks. Will have to revisit in 3 years to see if the decision was right.
 

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